Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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449. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the original value and volume targets his Department put on beef exports to the United States of America for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively; the actual value realised in each such year for such exports; and the amount of manufacturing beef and ground beef that has been permitted to enter the market in the United States of America on an annual basis during this period. [29927/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not set targets for the volume and value of beef exports to the United States or to other markets.  The role of the Department is to secure market access to overseas third country markets, for Irish agri-food exports, including beef. Once access is secured, market forces determine how much is exported, and to where, in any given year. This can vary depending on a number of factors such as currency fluctuations, global supply and demand dynamics, tariffs, quotas and the prices available in alternative markets. Having access to a range of markets gives exporters different options.

Access for beef to the US market was restored in 2015, with Ireland the first EU Member State to achieve such access.  In 2015, 912 tonnes of beef were exported. According to the USDA in 2016, approximately 2,400 tonnes of beef and as of the end of May 2017, approximately 700 tonnes were exported. Value of exports is not currently available. As exports of manufacturing beef only commenced in quarter 2 of 2017 it is too early to collate volumes exported.

However, with ten Irish meat establishments now approved for the US market, two of whom are also approved for beef intended for grinding, I am satisfied that Irish meat exporters are well placed to exploit any opportunities which may arise. I hope that the agreement reached last week as part of the Trade Mission to the USA on the Process verified programme for Irish beef, will increase sales of Irish beef in the USA. Last week also saw the launch of Irish beef directly into US retail for the first time.